Feb. 7, 2014 - 12:26PM
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Robert Work served as Navy undersecretary from 2009 to 2013. (Navy)

Whether by accident or by design, the Senate Armed Services Committee on Friday confirmed what everyone had already thought to be true: Robert Work is being tapped by the White House to be the next deputy secretary of defense.

The SASC sent out an email Friday morning naming February 13 as the date when the committee would consider Work’s nomination, along with Michael J. McCord to be under secretary of defense (comptroller).

Sources have been whispering for weeks that Work was going to be the nominee to take over from the recently departed Ash Carter, and to take over from the interim office holder, Christine Fox, who President Obama appointed in December.

Work stepped down as Navy undersecretary in 2013 — a position he held since 2009 — and was quickly named the CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) think tank.